NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene
mutations can lower their risk of developing breast and
gynecologic cancers by having their ovaries removed. However,
the benefit depends on which mutation they have, researchers
have found.

Ovary removal significantly reduces the odds of gynecologic
cancer in BRCA1 carriers and the risk of breast cancer in BRCA2
carriers, Dr. Noah D. Kauff, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering
Cancer Center in New York, and his associates report.

"All previous studies have either combined BRCA1 and BRCA2
mutation carriers together or evaluated BRCA1 mutation carriers
alone," Kauff explained to Reuters Health. "As many as 39
percent of all BRCA mutation carriers have a mutation in BRCA2
and these women may have very different responses to
risk-reducing interventions than women with BRCA1 mutations."

ADVERTISEMENT

The most important finding of the study, he said, "is that
carriers of BRCA2 mutations appear to receive substantially
greater protection against breast cancer from (ovary removal)
than carriers of BRCA1 mutations. As this issue has never been
evaluated before, this is new information and surprising."

The study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,
involved more than 1000 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation,
who made the decision to undergo ovary surgery or to just have
regular cancer check-ups.

Compared to the women who did not have surgery, those who
underwent removal of their ovaries were 85 percent less likely
to develop BRCA1-associated gynecologic cancers over a 3-year
period, and 72 percent less likely to develop BRCA2-associated
breast cancer.

The surgery also reduced risks of BRCA2-associated
gynecologic cancer and BRCA1-associated breast cancer, but
these results were not significant from a statistical
standpoint.

"These findings should help women with BRCA mutations and
their doctors make more informed choices about strategies to
reduce their risk of breast and gynecologic cancers," Kauff
said.